2000
#7,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,177
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.55
Rare Last name
Peery
An occupational surname for a pear grower or seller, derived from the Old English word "pere" meaning pear.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,752 Americans carry the last name Peery. That puts it at #7,702 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.39 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 72,128 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Peery surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
4.8K
1 in 72,128
Census rank
#7,702
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,144 bearers of the surname Peery in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.39 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7702nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Peery, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.2%) and Black (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Peery
The surname Peery is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "peor," which means pear tree. This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name likely lived near a pear orchard or had some association with the cultivation of pears.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Peery can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Perie." This ancient record provides a valuable glimpse into the history of the name and indicates that it was already in use during the 11th century.
Over the centuries, the name underwent various spelling variations, including Pery, Perie, and Perrie, before eventually evolving into its modern form, Peery. These variations reflect the lack of standardized spelling during earlier times and the influence of local dialects.
Historically, the name Peery was concentrated in certain regions of England, particularly in the counties of Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, and Gloucestershire. This regional concentration suggests that the name may have originated in one of these areas and then spread to other parts of the country over time.
Among the notable individuals who bore the surname Peery throughout history is Sir John Peery (1525-1592), a prominent English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another notable figure was William Peery (1683-1746), a renowned architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the St. Mary-le-Bow Church.
In the literary world, the name Peery is associated with the English poet and playwright, Robert Peery (1612-1679), who was known for his satirical works and contributions to the Restoration era theater. Additionally, John Peery (1745-1814) was a celebrated English botanist and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of plant life.
The name Peery also has a connection to the American colonies, with one of the earliest recorded instances being that of Thomas Peery (1670-1732), who immigrated to Virginia in the late 17th century and established a successful farming operation.
While the surname Peery is not among the most common in any particular region, it has a rich history that spans several centuries and is associated with various notable individuals who have left their mark on various fields, including law, architecture, literature, and science.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Peery
Among Census respondents with the surname Peery, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.2%) and Black (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Peery bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Peery surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.1% · 3,567
- Two or more races5.2% · 216
- Black or African American4.4% · 181
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 104
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 43
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 33
Timeline
Historical Census data for Peery
Peery appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#7,224
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,620
+443 bearers (+10.6%)
Per 100,000 1.57
Rank movement Up 123 places
2020
#7,702
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,144
-476 bearers (-10.3%)
Per 100,000 1.39
Rank movement Down 478 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,347 | 4,177 | 1.55 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,224 | 4,620 | 1.57 | +443 bearers (+10.6%) | Up 123 places |
| 2020 | #7,702 | 4,144 | 1.39 | -476 bearers (-10.3%) | Down 478 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Peery surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #7,224 | #7,702 | -6.6% |
| Count | 4,620 | 4,144 | -10.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.57 | 1.39 | -11.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Peery bearers went from 4,620 to 4,144 (-10.3% change). The surname moved down 478 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,224 to #7,702.
FAQ
Peery surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Peery?
Name Census estimates that about 4,752 living Americans carry the surname Peery. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 72,128 residents.
How common is Peery?
Peery ranks #7,702 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.39 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,144 people with the surname Peery. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,752), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.39 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.39 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Peery.
Has Peery become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Peery went from 4,620 recorded bearers to 4,144. That is a decrease of 476 (-10.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,224 to #7,702.
What does the Census say about the background of Peery?
Among Census respondents with the surname Peery, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.2%) and Black (4.4%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Peery in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.1% (3,567 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Peery appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.1%), Two or More Races (5.2%), Black (4.4%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Peery (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Peery mean?
An occupational surname for a pear grower or seller, derived from the Old English word "pere" meaning pear. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Peery (1.39 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Peery?
Find out how many people have the surname Peery on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.